The Escape Page #4

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I NEVER WENT TO COLLEGE,

BUT IVE TAKEN:

SOME WRITING CLASSES FROM HIM.

HES HELPED ME PUBLISH

A COUPLE THINGS.

REALLY?

A COUPLE POEMS.

ITS NO BIG DEAL.

WELL, MENTORS ARE IMPORTANT.

WHATS THAT OLD-TIMEY SAYING?

"WHEN THE PUPIL IS READY,

THE TEACHER WILL COME."

COME ON, MAN.

[ METAL DOOR CLOSES ]

[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]

MR. LONG, CAN I TALK TO YOU

FOR A MINUTE?

IM CLAYTONS CELLMATE.

IM DUNCAN.

YOU KNOW, I FIGURED HED MAYBE

PULL SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

THIS IS CLAYTONS NOTEBOOK.

I KNOW HED WANT YOU TO HAVE IT.

WELL, THANK YOU.

UH, R-ROBERT NEWBY.

THANK YOU, NEWBY.

SO, IM NOT MUCH GOOD

AT WRITING,

BUT I LIKE LISTENING

TO YOU READ AND TALK.

YOU KNOW, IT MAKES ME

THINK ABOUT THINGS.

WELL, THATS THE IDEA.

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE

TO FEEL FREE TO SPEAK UP

AND EXPRESS YOUR OPINIONS

AND YOUR THOUGHTS, ALL RIGHT?

GOOD NIGHT, UH, NEWBY.

UH, SIR.

WHEN I FIRST GOT IN HERE,

I WAS THE DUMBEST F***ING FISH

YOU EVER SAW.

CLAYTON SHOWED ME

HOW TO MAKE A SHANK.

HE MELTED A RAZOR BLADE

INTO A TOOTHBRUSH HANDLE.

-YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

-YOU KNOW.

HE TOLD ME NEVER

TO SIT ON THE TOILE WITHOUT TAKING ONE LEG

OUT OF MY PANTS,

SO IF SOMEBODY TRIED TO JUMP ME,

I COULD GET AWAY.

MY FIRST DAY HERE, HE BEA THE SH*T OUT OF THESE GUYS

WHO WANTED TO POP MY CHERRY.

SO NOW EVERYONE:

THINKS IM HIS WIFE.

WERE FRIENDS.

AND DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA

HOW F***ING HARD IT IS

TO FIND A FRIEND

IN A PLACE LIKE THIS?

[ BUZZER SOUNDS ]

[ METAL DOOR OPENS ]

YOU BETTER GO.

AND NOW HES GONE, THERES

NOBODY FOR ME TO TALK TO.

YEAH, BUT YOU HAVE IT --

THE SUBJECT OF YOUR FIRST WORK.

WHAT?

THE, UM, THE LONELINESS

OF THE EMPTY CELL,

THE -- THE -- THE LOST FRIEND,

THE -- THE -- THE

LONG-REMEMBERED MENTOR.

[ BUZZER SOUNDS ]

[ METAL DOOR OPENS ]

THATS IT.

YEAH, BUT WHAT DO I DO?

[ Chuckling ]

YOU WRITE, NEWBY --

YOU WRITE, ONE WORD AT A TIME.

SEE THE POSSIBILITIES.

FOCUS DOWN ON THE SMALL DETAIL.

ONE WORD AT A TIME.

COME ON. COME ON!

[ DOOR CREAKS ]

[ LIGHT JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS ]

AH, MAN, DUNCAN LONG

BROUGHT ME BACK FROM THE DEAD.

[ CHUCKLES ]

RECITE ONE OF YOUR POEMS FOR ME.

NOW?

YEAH. I PLAYED FOR YOU.

[ SIGHS ]

MY HANDS SLEEP...

YOUR SWEETNESS STILL ON THEM.

IT STARTS THE NEW MEMORIES.

AND THERE ARE THINGS --

THINGS I DONT SAY...

THINGS THAT ARE QUIETLY KEPT.

THATS BEAUTIFUL.

WELL, IM NOT BYRON.

[ THUNDER RUMBLING ]

[ SLOW MUSIC PLAYS ]

LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY

LEFT A LIGHT ON.

I THOUGHT THE HOTELS

HAD BEEN EVACUATED.

LETS CALL IT IN.

THEYLL CHECK IT OU IN THE MORNING.

[ MUSIC CONTINUES ]

[ MUSIC ENDS ]

THIS IS "HEADLINE NEWS."

SEVERE WEATHER ADVISORIES

AND FLOOD WARNINGS

CONTINUE:

IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

10 PEOPLE HAVE DIED

AND HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS

ARE BEING FORCED FROM THEIR

HOMES BY THE RAGING WATERS.

ALSO IN THE NEWS,

A CONVICTED MURDERER

HAS ESCAPED FROM A ROAD CREW

WORKING IN THE PALUSI

NATIONAL PARK THIS MORNING.

-[ MOANING ]

-THE INMATE, STILL AT LARGE,

KILLED A PRISON GUARD

WHILE MAKING HIS GETAWAY.

AUTHORITIES ARE SEARCHING --

[ CLICKS ]

I DONT WANT TO KNOW ABOU THE OUTSIDE WORLD RIGHT NOW.

WHAT?

IM NOT VERY GOOD AT THIS.

YOU DONT WANT TO.

NO.

ITS OKAY.

NO, NO, NO.

I WANT TO.

I WANT TO.

[ THUNDER RUMBLING ]

[ GASPING ]

[ BOTH BREATHING HEAVILY ]

AAH!

SARAH.

STAY AWAY FROM ME!

I WAS GONNA TELL YOU.

TELL ME WHAT?

THE TRUTH. SARAH.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW

ABOUT THE TRUTH?

EVERY COP IN THE F***ING STATE

IS LOOKING FOR ME.

I AM RUNNING FOR MY LIFE.

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?

I WOULDNT HAVE KILLED ANYBODY

IN THE FIRST PLACE!

-[ GASPS ]

-YOU HAVE GOT TO BELIEVE ME.

NO, I DONT!

YOU ASKED ME TO TRUST YOU

WHEN YOU KNEW EVERYTHING

YOU WERE SAYING WAS BULLSHIT!

WHAT WERE YOU GONNA DO WITH ME?

SARAH.

F*** ME AND LEAVE ME?

[ GUN C*CKS ]

[ THUNDER CRASHING ]

LETS DO IT.

JOHNSON, BRING THAT STUFF

OVER HERE.

YEAH.

BUNKER 13, STAND BY.

WEATHERS SUPPOSED TO

BREAK BY DAWN.

YOU SHOULD GET READY

TO MOVE NOW.

YEAH, WELL,

THANKS FOR THE WEATHER REPORT,

BUT WERE GONNA STICK IT OU RIGHT HERE.

SUIT YOURSELF.

[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]

[ Thinking ] "THINGS

KEEP HAPPENING, YOU KNOW?

"AS I WRITE THESE WORDS,

"HANNIBAL IS STILL

CROSSING THE ALPS.

"BILLIE HOLIDAY STILL SINGS

FOR ALL WE KNOW:

AT THE OLD FIVE SPOT."

"THE DAM IS BROKEN,

"AND THE GREAT,

SLOW, MUDDY FLOOD

SWELLS BEHIND ME

IN PONDEROUS PURSUIT."

[ CELLO PLAYS CLASSICAL MUSIC ]

"THE SAME FLOWER BLOOMS

AND BLOOMS AGAIN FOREVER."

"ENDLESSLY, I SCRUB THE BLOOD

FROM MY SHAKING HANDS.

"ENDLESSLY, THE WORDS PILE UP,

SMOTHERING THE POEM.

"NIGHT FALLS.

"NIGHT FALLS.

NIGHTS FALL,

AND I CANNOT STOP THIS DYING."

THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

SARAH...

HEAR ME OUT, AND THEN ILL GO.

I F***ED UP MY LIFE

IN EVERY WAY YOU CAN IMAGINE...

AND SOME WAYS YOU CANT.

LOOK, NOW, IM NOT ASKING YOU

TO FORGIVE ME.

BUT I WANT YOU TO BELIEVE

THAT I NEVER DELIBERATELY

SET OUT TO HURT ANYONE.

IF YOU DONT BELIEVE ANYTHING

ELSE I SAID TONIGHT,

PLEASE BELIEVE THAT.

THE RADIO SAID YOU WERE

A CONVICTED MURDERER.

I GUESS THAT WAS

AN ACCIDENT, TOO?

NO.

IT WASNT AN ACCIDENT.

A FRIEND OF MINE,

GUY ID KNOWN SINCE HIGH SCHOOL,

ASKED ME TO COME WITH HIM

ONE NIGHT TO PICK UP SOME DOPE.

I THOUGHT HE WAS TALKING

ABOUT A COUPLE LIDS OF POT.

WED DONE THAT BEFORE.

THAT WAS NO BIG DEAL.

BUT WHEN I GOT IN THE CAR,

HE HANDED ME A PIECE, A .38.

SAID HE WANTED ME

TO RIDE SHOTGUN:

AND THAT WE WERE GONNA SCORE

SOME COKE,

SELL IT, THEN PARTY.

SO, WE GO TO THE SPOT.

THESE TWO GUYS:

GET IN THE BACKSEAT.

THEY SHOW US THE SH*T.

MY FRIEND TASTES IT, NODS,

STARTS TO PAY THEM.

EVERYTHINGS COOL,

EVEN FRIENDLY.

AND THEN...RIGHT BEHIND ME,

I HEAR THE CLICK OF A HAMMER.

[ GUN C*CKS ]

AND OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE,

I SEE THIS GUY AIMING HIS GUN

AT MY FRIENDS HEAD.

[ GUNSHOT ]

HIS HEAD BLOWS UP.

I DIDNT EVEN THINK.

I JUST REACTED...

[ GUN C*CKS ]

...AND SHOT.

I JUST SAT THERE

FOR A LONG TIME...

...AND THEN THE COPS SHOWED UP.

[ SIREN WAILING ]

I NEVER KNEW WHY THAT GUY

WENT FOR MY FRIEND FIRST.

IVE REPLAYED IT IN MY MIND

A MILLION TIMES.

IT HAPPENED INCREDIBLY QUICKLY,

AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE...

FOREVER.

[ THUNDER RUMBLES ]

BECAUSE I HAD BEEN

IN THE MARINES,

THE PROSECUTION SAID

I WAS A TRAINED KILLER.

I GOT TWO LIFE SENTENCES

WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY

OF PAROLE.

I WAS 19.

HOW COULD THAT HAPPEN?

[ SIGHS ]

I HAD A PUBLIC DEFENDER.

I DIDNT KNOW ANYTHING.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN JAIL?

10 YEARS.

SO, THAT NIGHTCLUB

IS NEVER GONNA HAPPEN?

NO.

ITS A FANTASY.

[ CHUCKLES ]

WITHOUT IT,

I WOULD HAVE GONE INSANE.

[ CHUCKLES ]

I DONT KNOW.

ITS HARD FOR SOMEONE

ON THE OUTSIDE TO UNDERSTAND.

IN PRISON...

THEY TAKE EVERYTHING

AWAY FROM YOU:

AND LEAVE YOU WITH NOTHING...

AND THEN THEY TAKE

THAT NOTHINGNESS AWAY, TOO.

MNH.

SARAH...

THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF

THE HAPPIEST NIGHTS OF MY LIFE,

AND I LOVED YOU:

FOR GIVING ME THAT,

AND I ALWAYS WILL.

WHATS GONNA HAPPEN NOW?

HICKMANS GONNA KILL ME.

[ CHUCKLES ]

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